Do you want full-blown sequels with all the changes that we usually see between major releases in the series? Then you'll be disappointed...But if you think of the games as a substitute to a hypothetical Pokémon Gray Version (like what Platinum Version was to Diamond and Pearl), then you'll be impressed with just how much Game Freak has added to this second trip around the Unova region.

Everything in Resident Evil 6 is bigger, louder, and prettier than its predecessors, but that does not necessarily make it a better game. While it finally embraces the adrenaline-fueled action the series has slowly moved toward for so long, the rest is a schizophrenic mess.

As a modern video game, a few things hold it back from being truly great, but as a nod to the days when developers created characters just to have more 'tude than that fat plumber, it's a lot of fun.

While two big draws are definitely the affordable price and flexible multiplayer options, the game also earns its place among the other top action-RPGS of the year. It's well made and fun, just not revolutionary.

Borderlands 2 is everything fans of the original could have hoped for. No, it doesn't mess with a formula that already proved itself. Instead it supports the framework for a great role-playing game with a bigger world, while offering more customization options for its players. It's also one of the funnier games you're likely to play this year.

The lack of polish in some areas and questionable design decisions in others can overshadow Tokyo Jungle's moments of brilliance. As I finished the story, however, I realized I couldn't stop smiling: It knows how absurd it is, but it doesn't care. The developers takes the ridiculous concept and runs with it all the way, mainstream tastes be damned. That's something you really have to admire.

Joe Danger 2: The Movie is a good game, but even with the Hollywood theme, it doesn't innovate enough on what Hello Games did two years ago.

Being able to use my fingers to manage items onscreen in both story and creation environments is a significant upgrade in the playability of the title.

A clever, fun, and challenging Nintendo 3DS game well worth your time.

Tekken doesn't need more stuff. It needs more focus. Like the archetypical weathered warrior, the franchise needs to look within to find inspiration.

Even if you've never liked a stealth game, you shouldn't miss Mark of the Ninja. It redefines the silent assassin.

Legasista isn't fun. If you desperately need a new JRPG to play, pick up Tales of Graces F, Eternal Sonata, or even NIS's Atelier series. All of those games are infinitely better than this mediocre adventure full of annoying, stereotypical characters and needlessly frustrating mechanics.

As the midway point of the series, it could've easily become a filler episode, but the shocks, twists, and character revelations keep the story's momentum trundling along as steadily as the train Lee and company now ride on.

If Fall of Cybertron has one lesson that it's trying to convey, it's the same thing that players will quickly learn upon trying out the multiplayer mode: Keep moving, adapt, and be willing to change. Otherwise, you'll probably blow up.

Staggeringly beautiful and provides just enough fan service for the RPG players while ramping up the challenge for the fighting game guys.

This is a polished, well constructed gaming experience with few glaring errors.

Papo & Yo is a welcome addition to the growing library of creative indie games whose purpose is greater than just engineering fun gameplay, but minor technical issues turn into major woes for Minority Media's debut release.

Like the celluloid explosion-and-exploitation fests that inspired it, Sleeping Dogs isn't about defying convention. It's about silly, stupendous entertainment.

Technical issues already dampened its prospects since its debut, and long matchmaking times are only compounding the problem. But with rock solid mechanics and genuinely interesting ideas behind it, 5th Cell's innovative shooter still has a fighting chance of bouncing back.

Dust: An Elysian Tail is a pleasure to look at. The combat is deep and highly kinetic, but the rest of the game can't keep up with that energy. What's left is an inconsistent and sometimes boring product that doesn't live up to its potential.

Sound Shapes is not the best platformer you'll ever play, but it deserves your attention for its accessible level editor and playful visualizations of sound.

NSMB2 begins as just another night of nostalgic anecdotes. It eventually overcomes that on the strength of its world-class gameplay and level design, but pieces of that awkwardness remain.

With a laborious combat system, sterile mission designs, and a weak retelling of the storyline crippling it, TDKR game is an entirely skippable experience.

The satisfaction of solving well-designed puzzles set in a visually interesting post-apocalyptic version of an alternate-history Seattle is worth it. The tone and excellent aesthetic design of the title only increases its value as a gaming piece of art.

Sure, some of the objective design really bogs down the progression, but that's just a facade. The real progression happens with a fully maxed out character and a player that's willing to engage with the design. That's when THPS HD is at its best.

Few console games in recent years are as special as Dyad. It can captivate with its beautiful synthesis of visuals and audio while delivering a gameplay experience that grabs hold of you and simply won't let go.

NCAA Football has always struggled to find its own place on the pigskin pecking order. While EA Sports has continued its quantity-over-quality approach with this latest entry, the title still provides a solid college football experience.

I really do hate Spelunky. It is frustrating in a way that few console games ever are. It's audio-visual trappings don't really help the matter for me, but the sense of discovery has me intrigued to find out what happens next. That doesn't make Spelunky a good game, but I can't wait to get back to playing it.